Abstract: A golf club is made of a club shaft and a club head. Either the club shaft or the club head is made at least in part of a bulk-solidifying amorphous metal. A preferred bulk-solidifying amorphous metal has a composition, in atomic percent, of from about 45 to about 67 percent total of zirconium plus titanium, from about 10 to about 35 percent beryllium, and from about 10 to about 38 percent total of copper plus nickel, plus incidental impurities, the total of the percentages being 100 atomic percent. The weights of the various club heads of a set, which have different volumes, may be established by varying the compositions and thence the densities of the bulk-solidifying amorphous alloys.

Abstract: A reinforcement-containing metal-matrix composite material is formed by dispersing pieces of reinforcement material throughout a melt of a bulk-solidifying amorphous metal and solidifying the mixture at a sufficiently high rate that the solid metal matrix is amorphous. Dispersing is typically accomplished either by melting the metal and mixing the pieces of reinforcement material into the melt, or by providing a mass of pieces of the reinforcement material and infiltration of the molten amorphous metal into the mass. The metal preferably has a composition of about that of a eutectic composition, and most preferably has a composition, in atomic percent, of from about 45 to about 67 percent total of zirconium plus titanium, from about 10 to about 35 percent beryllium, and from about 10 to about 38 percent total of copper plus nickel.

Abstract: A torsionally reacting spring, such as a helical spring, a torsion bar, or a torsion tube, requires the ability to torsionally deform elastically during service and return to its original, undeformed shape. The torsionally reacting spring is made of a bulk-deforming amorphous alloy which may be cooled from the melt at a cooling rate of less than about 500.degree. C. per second, yet retain an amorphous structure. A preferred bulk-solidifying amorphous alloy has a composition, in atomic percent, of from about 45 to about 67 percent total of zirconium plus titanium, from about 10 to about 35 percent beryllium, and from about 10 to about 38 percent total of copper plus nickel, plus incidental impurities, the total of the percentages being 100 atomic percent.

Abstract: Solid die-cast articles are prepared from a charge of a bulk-solidifying amorphous alloy. The charge is heated to an injection temperature and injected into a die-casting mold. The charge is cooled at a rate, about 500.degree. C. per second or less, such that its amorphous structure is retained in the solidified article.

Abstract: A hard-facing material source is an article whose net composition is, in weight percent, from about 20 to about 35 percent chromium, from about 2 to about 5 percent boron, from about 1 to about 2.5 percent silicon, from 0 to about 0.5 percent carbon, from about 0.5 to about 2 percent manganese, and from about 0.2 to about 1.0 percent titanium, balance iron and incidental impurities. The article may be a powder or a hollow tube with a powder packed therein. The hard-facing material source is thermally applied to a substrate by spraying or welding.

Abstract: A reinforcement-containing metal-matrix composite material is formed by dispersing pieces of reinforcement material throughout a melt of a bulk-solidifying amorphous metal and solidifying the mixture at a sufficiently high rate that the solid metal matrix is amorphous. Dispersing is typically accomplished either by melting the metal and mixing the pieces of reinforcement material into the melt, or by providing a mass of pieces of the reinforcement material and infiltration of the molten amorphous metal into the mass. The metal preferably has a composition of about that of a eutectic composition, and most preferably has a composition, in atomic percent, of from about 45 to about 67 percent total of zirconium plus titanium, from about 10 to about 35 percent beryllium, and from about 10 to about 38 percent total of copper plus nickel.

Abstract: A diamond-containing metal-matrix composite material is formed by dispersing pieces of diamond throughout a melt of a bulk-solidifying amorphous metal and solidifying the mixture. The mixture may then be remelted and resolidified at a rate sufficiently high that the metal matrix retains an amorphous structure upon cooling. The metal preferably has a composition of about that of a eutectic composition, and most preferably has a composition, in atomic percent, of from about 45 to about 67 percent total of zirconium plus titanium, from about 10 to about 35 percent beryllium, and from about 10 to about 98 percent total of copper plus nickel. The diamond is preferably low-grade or artificial diamond.

Abstract: Two pieces of metal are joined together using an amorphous metallic joining element. In the joining operation, the joining element is placed between the two pieces to be joined. The joining element and adjacent regions of the pieces being joined are given a joining processing sequence of heating to a joining temperature, forcing the two pieces together for a period of time, and cooling. The joining element has a composition that is amorphous after the processing is complete. The joining element composition is also selected such that, after interdiffusion of elements from the pieces being joined into the joining element during processing, the resulting composition is amorphous after cooling.

Abstract: A nickel tungsten-containing coating is electrodeposited onto a substrate from an electrodeposition bath having in solution from about 0.034 to about 0.047 moles per liter of nickel, from about 0.15 to about 0.28 moles per liter of tungsten, from about 0.13 to about 0.43 moles per liter of hydroxycarboxylic acid, and 0 or from about 0.077 to about 0.15 moles per liter of boron. The bath has a pH of from about 6 to about 9, and the electrodeposition is preferably accomplished at a temperature of from about 100.degree. F. to about 140.degree. F.

Abstract: A matrix-bonded carbide-containing material of high hardness is prepared using a mixture containing a matrix alloy having a composition in weight percent of from about 15 to about 45 percent chromium, from 0 to about 3 percent silicon, from about 2 to about 6 percent boron, from about 3 to about 11 percent titanium (either as metal or as a compound), balance iron and impurities, and a mass of tungsten carbide particles, the tungsten carbide particles preferably being present in an amount of from about 15 to about 60 percent by weight of the total mixture and the matrix alloy preferably being present in an amount of from about 85 to about 40 percent by weight of the total mixture. The matrix alloy is melted to produce a flowable mixture having a liquid phase and solid tungsten carbide particles, and thereafter solidified. During melting, the tungsten carbide particle size is reduced by interaction with the liquid phase.

Abstract: An information storage system includes a memory medium having a layer of an amorphously transformable, stable metal upon a substrate, a laser or other directed energy source for changing the state of discrete regions of the layer between the amorphous and the crystalline states, in a controllable pattern to store information in the pattern, a beam source to cause X-ray or electron emission from a local region of the metallic layer, and an X-ray or electron detector for analyzing X-rays or electrons from the region to determine whether the region is amorphous or crystalline. Discrete regions are transformed to the amorphous state by heating them above the melting point and permitting them to solidify rapidly. Those regions are transformed back to the crystalline state by heating them above their crystalline transformation temperature, but not above the melting point, using the laser operating at a reduced power level.

Abstract: Wear-resistant materials and articles, wherein an amorphous material having a hardness of greater than about 1600 VHN is utilized to protect wear-susceptible portions of substrates or is itself made into a wear-resistant article. Amorphous materials having hardnesses greater than about 1600 VHN are found to have surprisingly great wear resistance and can be used to prepare wear-resistant articles. Particularly satisfactory results have been obtained with metal-metalloid systems such as W--Ru--B, Re--Mo--B, Mo--Ru--B, and Co--Nb--B materials.

Abstract: A process for protecting an article from wear, wherein a frictionally transformable material is provided at the surface of the article, and then the surface of the article is subjected to frictional wear. The wear transforms the outermost layer of the material to the amorphous state, which is more wear resistant and corrosion resistant than is the material in its nonamorphous state. As the material is worn away gradually, the frictional transformation continues, thereby replenishing the amorphous outermost layer, so that a protective outermost layer remains.

Abstract: A process for bonding together two or more pieces of material, at least one of which is an amorphous material, wherein an intermediate interlayer is placed between the two pieces and the assembly is hot pressed at a temperature above the melting point of the interlayer but below the crystallization temperature of the amorphous piece. The composition of the interlayer is chosen so that the elements diffusing into the pieces being bonded are compatible with retention of the amorphous structure. When the bonding operation is carried to completion, no evidence of the interlayer as a separate phase remains. Alternatively, the bonding operation may be halted before completion and the interlayer will remain as a separate, observable phase. For bonding hard metal amorphous materials, alloys of aluminum with silver, gold, silicon and germanium, and alloys of gold with silicon, with the addition of fluxing elements such as phosphorus and boron, have been found to provide particularly satisfactory results.

Abstract: Apparatus for continuous preparation of rapidly cooled metal particles from a molten source metal by quenching into a quench liquid, wherein a cylindrical quench chamber rotates about its axis to hold the quench liquid against the inner wall thereof under centrifugal force, and a spinner disk within the quench chamber rotates about the same axis to spin off molten metal droplets into the quench liquid. Quench liquid is supplied at one end of the quench chamber and removed at the other end continuously, at the same time drawing off the solidified metal particles to an external recirculation loop where the particles are separated from the quench liquid. The spinner disk has an upper surface including a generally conical protruding tip. Metal from a source metal supply tube is directed downwardly onto the apex of the tip to form a laminar flow along the upper surface of the spinner disk.

Abstract: A composite material bonded by an amorphous metal. In one embodiment, a bonded piece is bonded to a substrate by a layer of amorphous metal interposed between the piece and the substrate. In another embodiment, a bonded composite material is formed with pieces of a second phase distributed throughout the volume of an amorphous matrix. In both embodiments, the second component of the composite is preferably a very hard material of low ductility, so that the composite material is useful in tooling applications. The solid composite material is formed by solid state processing, wherein the pieces are placed in contact and then consolidated at a temperature which does not exceed the crystallization temperature of the amorphous metal.

Abstract: An extended surface area amorphous metallic article and process for preparation thereof, wherein a homogeneous amorphous metallic alloy is phase-separated to produce two interconnected, internally continuous, amorphous phases, and then one phase is removed. Preferably, the homogeneous metallic alloy has a composition associated with a eutectic between at least two solid solutions. Phase separation is accomplished by exposing the alloy to a temperature which is below the crystallization temperature and also below the phase separation temperature for that composition. Removal of one phase may be accomplished by leaching in a liquid solution, or by vaporization. The resulting article has an extended surface area of the amorphous phase that is not removed. A porous membrane having extended internal surface area may be prepared by continuing the removal process to the removal of one phase throughout the entire thickness of the article.

Abstract: A plain bearing pair comprising a bearing surface in opposed mating engagement with a relatively moveable friction bearing surface wherein the material of at least one of the mating bearing surfaces is formed from an amorphous metal alloy having a predominant refractory metal component and a Vickers Hardness Number in excess of 1000.

Abstract: An electrodeposition process for depositing a boron-containing amorphous metallic layer onto a cathode from an electrodeposition bath having borophosphoric acid, dimethylamineborane or diethylamineborane; an ammonium salt of a hydroxycarboxylic acid or amino acid; and a source of the metallic ions. In one embodiment, tungsten-cobalt-boron amorphous alloys are deposited onto the cathode from a bath having borophosphoric acid, an ammonium salt of a hydroxycarboxylic acid or amino acid, a tungsten-containing salt and a cobalt-containing salt. In the preferred embodiment, the tungsten-containing salt is sodium tungstate, the cobalt-containing salt is cobalt sulphate, and the ammonium salt of a hydroxycarboxylic acid is ammonium citrate or ammonium tartrate.

Abstract: A joint includes two members with facing surface sections sealed together by a meltable seal material contained within a reservoir between the surface sections. A non-capillary recess in one of the members adjacent one surface section keeps the seal material from flowing out of the reservoir between the members by capillary action when the seal material is melted to form or reform the seal between the members.